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I'm new! I'd like to hear from owners of the desktop Headroom series

post #1 of 31
7/19/05 at 7:55am
Thread Starter 
After I sold my $5digit 2channel stereo to get married, buy a house and return to college I have found it difficult to get back in the game of HI-FI. I was looking
at the Headroom selection and saw they have a Desktop line amp with MAX upgrades & DAC & Power supply. This would come in handy for moving from crappy computer(notebook w/terrible sound) to my mini system source (some $700 Denon thing). It is at least a start. Are there any owners of this new system? I would love to hear about it. OR is there anyone who was in position as a twenty something like me who beat the system (wife and $$ factor). I feel like I abandoned my #1 hobby and can never get back. HELP
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post #2 of 31
7/19/05 at 11:14am
Hello bowlofjokes,

I don't think you'll get much response from owners. We've shipped a small number of Desktop amps and I don't think many of them went to head-fi'ers. There have been quite a few people that have had a short listen at some of the meets. You can check the meet impressions forum or The HeadRoom Tours Head-Fi Meets Tour, in the Sposored Threads, for a little more info. In the mean time, I better go build some more amps so head-fi folks can receive them.


Hope you get to hear one soon.

Cheers,
Jamey
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post #3 of 31
7/19/05 at 11:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowlofjokes
After I sold my $5digit 2channel stereo to get married, buy a house and return to college I have found it difficult to get back in the game of HI-FI.
This doesn't help you, but it interests me what $5digit 2channel stereo you owned before.
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post #4 of 31
7/19/05 at 11:39am
I had a chance to listen to the Headroom Desktop portable with built in dac and was quite impressed. I didn't do any comparisons but felt for the money, considering the feature, it was well worth the price. I just ordered the micro dac but might have gone with the Desktop portable if I was in the need of another amp.
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post #5 of 31
7/19/05 at 12:38pm
Thread Starter 
When I was younger and rich. I owned the integrated amp made by Sonus Faber called the Musica. I had a pair of Vienna Acoustic's Mozarts and a REL STADIUM III for a sub. My source was the SCD777ES, the 50lb sacd player by sony. All silver cables and interconnects. That little amount of stuff adds up to 11,000-12,000... I sold it thinking I was about 2 upgrade, but my upgrade connection got laid off (certain CT company moved ) and I have had nothing to LISTEN to for some 4 or 5 years now. The only way I could get back in the game is with Headphones, AMP, DAC. The problem is nowhere in CT have I found a dealer who has anything, but MF. I have been told by many a few thousand on a headphone system is comparable to a 5 figure stereo system. Is this true? I have no problem throwing down a couple grand on a headphone system if it will melt my brain. I don't want to go down that addicting upgrade path of my past. I just want to do it right once. Can I do this for a couple grand/ or is it more like a few grand++?
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post #6 of 31
7/19/05 at 12:59pm
What do you have now? Are you starting from ground 0?

Do you have any headphones? If you need headphones do you want sealed, IEM (In-Ear-Monitor), or open air?

What are your musical tastes?
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post #7 of 31
7/19/05 at 1:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowlofjokes
When I was younger and rich. I owned the integrated amp made by Sonus Faber called the Musica. I had a pair of Vienna Acoustic's Mozarts and a REL STADIUM III for a sub. My source was the SCD777ES, the 50lb sacd player by sony. All silver cables and interconnects. That little amount of stuff adds up to 11,000-12,000... I sold it thinking I was about 2 upgrade, but my upgrade connection got laid off (certain CT company moved ) and I have had nothing to LISTEN to for some 4 or 5 years now. The only way I could get back in the game is with Headphones, AMP, DAC. The problem is nowhere in CT have I found a dealer who has anything, but MF. I have been told by many a few thousand on a headphone system is comparable to a 5 figure stereo system. Is this true? I have no problem throwing down a couple grand on a headphone system if it will melt my brain. I don't want to go down that addicting upgrade path of my past. I just want to do it right once. Can I do this for a couple grand/ or is it more like a few grand++?
Your budget is more than likely, more than enough for what you appear to be seeking. We would need to know more information in terms of your listening habits, musical tastes, etc. The more information you give the better. Believe me there will be no shortage of opinions.
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post #8 of 31
7/19/05 at 1:11pm
FWIW, I am currently listening to the HeadRoom desktop module (in my Coda amp), and it does a very nice job indeed. I'm also listening to the Overture DAC along with, which I THINK is roughly equivalent to the Desktop model (though I don't know for sure). I had very little chance to sample the DAC's in the Desktop line when HeadRoom was in Detroit...my bad!!

I think you'll enjoy headphone audio a great deal. Is it the equal of speakers? Well, no...but you'll pay IMHO 10 times for speakers and amps what you'll pay for roughly equivalent cans and headphone amps. I also find that I listen a LOT more with headphones than I can ever do with speakers. This is especially true WRT computer audio...I have very little time to dedicate to nothing but listening to my home rig. With a variety of portable and lugable components, I get a LOT more listening into my day. That's the most important thing in the end.

Good luck!!
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post #9 of 31
7/19/05 at 1:44pm
Thread Starter 
My listening preferences are to be in a leather chair, with expensive whiskey Or Scotch, a cigar (just for show) and I prefer the room to be dry and cool, about 73 degrees
As far as music I listen to Folk Rock like Elliott Smith, Metal Rock like Alice in Chains, Jazz,, like instruments man, Pop like Rufus Wainwright or Coldplay AND of course some classical like PHISH. Its easier to rule out classifications, probably never country, something called emo, rap, thug rap, house music, dance music, hip hop.
I have no cans. Whatever sounds better is what I want, open air seems to be the way to go. Although wife would appreciate closed on me probably. But if I could get a rig with phones for around $2000 or so I could slip it under the radar.
My source will have to be my regular CD player or computer.
I tend to like what other call dry and analytical,,,I tend to call detailed. I also like the lush sound of "musical" components, but always seem to lean toward the more detail oriented. HOPE THIS HELPS.1st para is half joke
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post #10 of 31
7/19/05 at 1:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jamey
I don't think you'll get much response from owners. We've shipped a small number of Desktop amps and I don't think many of them went to head-fi'ers.
You will... *looks at bank statement* ... But not just yet.

My current plan involves a micro dac, desktop w/ yet unknown module and the power supply for both of them. I need to sort out my amp woes first, though

/JF
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post #11 of 31
7/19/05 at 2:18pm
hmmmm... Although I have not had experiences with them you may dig something from the Grado line, given your tastes.
I listen to my Senn HD650 at home and listen to just about every type of music and I find them very versatile, this may also bee a good choice.

I really like Headroom products and have the Headroom Supreme and it is REALLY sweeeet with the 650's. I believe the desktop series replaced the Supreme and Cosmic amps (but don't quote me on that). If you plan on having this for just home use the desktop amp/dac combo with a "home" upgrade would probably really dazzle you. From what I hear, upgrading to the "max" could be a waste of money unless you really have an ear for fine tuned differences, the home should be more than enough!

There are so many options out there within your budget I'd say order from someone like Headroom so you have a 30 day period to see what works for you. Also do some digging in the headphone threads and read reviews on different cans so you can find what sounds best for your needs and tastes.
Good luck!
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post #12 of 31
7/19/05 at 2:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bowlofjokes
My listening preferences are to be in a leather chair, with expensive whiskey Or Scotch, a cigar (just for show) and I prefer the room to be dry and cool, about 73 degrees
Alright, so musical habits was not the right way to phrase it.

In addition to the suggestion for Grado, you may want to consider the Sony SA5000. Excellent detail but is at it's best when combined with a high quality source. In terms of amps, you should probably stick with solid state. I will leave it to others to suggest the amps as my experience with ss amps are somewhat limited. I will say that some ppa's may fit your description.
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post #13 of 31
7/19/05 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the info. I'm trying to get a gripe on what type of people you can crazys are. Is the language the same. Now if I sit down and listen to a Mark Levinson 383 with a pair of Revel M20's I say unveiled, detailed, and dynamic, others say unmusical, to detailed, bla,bla
I sit down and listen to Dynaudio contour 1.3 with Ayre integrated I say wow that is a very musical, blooming, darker, lush sound, I also like, other say almost like tubes, very engaging, musical, toe tapping
I sit down and listen to Musical Fidelity amp and pre through Dynaudio I say "stop running your fingernails down the board cause my ears are bleeding"

I consider the headroom desktop, power supply, with dac because I get 30 days
and I could always use it just for the computer if I ever get enough money for a real stereo again *looking at calander not printed yet* cause the computer is so bad i just leave on mute,,ohh its a notebook maybe thats why. I was going to go with HD650 for cans and I;m sure soemone will tell me what cable is best touse with it.
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post #14 of 31
7/19/05 at 3:57pm
Zu Mobius or the Moon Audio Silver Dragon might be good choices for you. It didn't seem from your description that the HD-650's were the right cans. They are excellent headphones and are detailed but I don't think I would describe them as dry. They are more laid back then the Grado or SA5K that had been suggested.
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post #15 of 31
7/19/05 at 4:00pm
I would also consider the Gilmore Lite with the Upgraded power supply. It seems the Gilmore Lite/HD-650 + Zu Mobius combo gets a lot of praise around here, and you seem like the type that can appreciate a beefier power supply

However, if you want a DAC, then I think the Headroom stack would be a great amp to use.
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